Side Story Episode 9 – Crazy Stranger (3)
The crown prince of the Volunw Empire that rules here in the dimension of Astelgia, Kals is said to be one of the few sword masters in the empire.
There weren’t too many surprises for such a Carls.
As the crown prince, I experienced all the luxurious things,
Because I’ve experienced all the overwhelming things as a sword master.
however.
“This, this, what is this…”
At this moment, it wasn’t like that at all.
everything you’ve been through and experienced.
Even with all those things put together, I couldn’t rub it at this moment.
It was literally untouchable!
No matter how much Aren recommended it, it was true that it was not trustworthy to be honest.
But what…
The swarms of monsters threatening the entire empire disappeared in an instant.
Even if the entire army of the empire, including the Imperial Knights, rushed in, the crowd of monsters that could not be helped were subdued in an instant.
And that in just a few days!
And the reason it was possible was none other than tick.
First, there is a report that a group of monsters have attacked.
Then, Seo-joon uses the Empire’s teleport magic circle to move to that location.
That’s how Seo-joon arrives.
And it’s just right to solve it.
The time required for the matter to be resolved was just ticking!
As the crown prince, he wondered if it would be right to use such an ignorant and vulgar expression, but Kals couldn’t find a more appropriate expression than this.
That’s why Carls really had nothing to say.
“Oh, how many times…”
No, not even the right words leaked out!
Is this really an inaction that a being can have?
Carl couldn’t believe it.
And what makes Carl even more crazy and jumps…
“It’s very frustrating because I can’t exert even 10% of my strength. Now I know how frustrating instructor Jecheon Daeseong was.”
This isn’t a real power.
To be precise, it is inaction that is less than 10%.
‘Ah, Aren-nim said that even he himself could not do anything about it…’
When I first saw the contents of the letter of recommendation, I thought Aren was joking.
Kals could feel keenly that the contents of the letter of recommendation were written with sincerity.
and.
‘My, who did I beat?’
I was able to deeply reflect on myself who had been beaten by Seo-joon.
At that time, I think I was bragging about my guts or something…
It’s a shame because Seo-Jun showed great mercy…
No, maybe he didn’t even care in the first place.
Although lions and tigers are the kings of beasts, they are just cute animals in front of dragons.
Carls made a promise in his heart, again and again.
Like what Aren wrote in the recommendation window, he said he would never go against Seo-jun’s nerves.
“Seojun Kim. All nobles are waiting. Let’s go together.”
Carls guided Seo-jun with utmost courtesy.
But why?
The look on Seo-joon’s face when I looked at him was unusual.
It was as if he had discovered something out of the blue.
“What is it?”
Sure enough, Seojun tilted his head and asked Carls.
Will Carls get on Seo-Jun’s nerves?
He carefully opened his mouth.
“What, what are you talking about?”
“Why are you showing respect all of a sudden?”
“ah···.”
At Seojun’s words, Carls let out a small exclamation.
That would be the case, because Kals had been treating Seo-jun badly.
And at the same time, Carls wanted to rip out the past, his own mouth, if he could.
What did you mean by that?
Was it because he was indulging in the vanity of being a crown prince and not even a sword master?
“that···.”
Carls vigorously shook his head, searching for an excuse.
“Isn’t Seojun Kim a close friend of Aren? Of course, you deserve to be treated accordingly. In the meantime… I made mistakes because I was too immature. Please forgive me.”
Cals thought it was an appropriate excuse and bowed his head.
The act of the imperial prince bowing his head to a stranger.
That could or should never have happened.
But Carls doesn’t seem to mind at all.
He bowed his head without hesitation.
“No, to that extent… I didn’t particularly care.”
Seo-joon seemed a little taken aback by Carl’s attitude.
That’s what I was just asking out of curiosity.
Because I wasn’t really looking for it.
However, seeing such bold Seo-jun, Carls was able to realize once again.
After all, no matter how much lions and tigers are the kings of beasts, they were just cute animals in front of dragons.
“By the way… what the hell did Aren do to make you do this just by Aren’s name?”
<Wouldn’t it have saved the dimension like Kim Seo-joon?>
At that moment, the mentor who was in Seo-jun’s arms jumped out and shouted.
<Ah! Kim Seo-joon saved not only the earth, but also the dimensions that inhabited the entire universe!>
The mentor shouted vigorously with his eyes sparkling as if he was so excited.
A dimension that resides in space?
Carls tilted his head, unable to understand what his mentor was saying.
“There is something like that.”
However, Seojun just waved his hand and waved it as if he didn’t need to know.
Seeing Seo-jun like that, Carls didn’t bother asking.
If Seo-joon doesn’t want to talk about it, that’s why.
Carls slowly opened his mouth.
“Aren-sama is the Grand Master of the Empire.”
Taesa?
“You mean the emperor’s teacher?”
“Yes, it is.”
Carls nodded and continued.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that you raised His Majesty now. I’ve only heard about it, but I haven’t watched the process… In fact, I’ve only seen it in person when I visit the imperial palace from time to time.”
“ah···.”
As Seo-jun knew, the emperor was a being called the ruler of the dimension.
If he was the teacher of such an emperor, he could have reacted appropriately.
“But Your Majesty is missing…”
Carls tried to add further explanation, but for some reason he couldn’t finish his words.
The silence that fell for a while.
“In fact, when I first met Kim Seo-joon, I was on my way to Aren using the punitive force as an excuse. I can’t possibly solve the current situation with my own strength…”
Carl’s expression as he looked at it contained some bitterness.
Actually, Carls had enough ability to resolve the current situation.
Although the crisis hanging over the dimension was threatening, the power of the empire was sufficient to counter him.
However, due to an unexpected internal enemy, they had to go through difficulties.
Vettel, whose none other than the emperor suddenly disappeared and began to embrace the aristocrats.
Vettel, along with the nobles, began interfering with Carl’s actions at every turn.
Kals, who had not yet established himself as the crown prince, could not stand up to the power of Vettel.
So now.
The same was true of the emergency meeting called at Vettel’s request.
There was obviously a lot of intention to interfere with Seo-jun’s actions, but Carls had no choice but to agree.
“sorry.”
Carls could only say this.
‘hmm···.’
Seojun looked at Carl’s expression and thought for a moment.
Just look at it
I seemed to know how things were going.
Earth or this dimension, Astelgiana.
Because the way beings live in society is similar.
And as Seo-joon felt as he swept through the monsters over the past few days, the present situation in Astelgia was similar to the cataclysm that took place on Earth in the past.
No, it could have been worse than that.
Of course, Seo-joon was not a generation that had experienced a cataclysm.
However, judging from the records and the stories I heard from the heroes of the cataclysm, the current situation in Astelgia was more serious than the cataclysm.
The world after the observer was banished.
A situation where the connection with the transcendent academy was cut off.
Dimensional people who can see the existence of a mentor.
The emperor’s sudden disappearance.
And the current situation in Astelgia.
What does all of this have to do with it?
‘hmm···.’
ah, i don’t know
Seojun quickly shook his head.
Anyway, whatever.
“Let’s go talk for a while.”
In the end, it was something that could be solved by ripping off the money.
#
The meeting hall that I returned to had all the nobles already seated.
buzz buzz.
However, each of them formed a group and was humming as if they were bored waiting for Seo-joon.
But that’s for a while.
“Your Highness is here!”
When Cals appeared with Seo-joon, the tumult stopped at once.
At the same time, the eyes of the nobles all turned to Seo-jun.
Unlike the first time I was ignoring and looking down, it was a look of reluctance somewhere.
Apparently, everyone had heard of Seojun’s performance.
As befits a crown prince, Carls was in the highest rank,
Seo-joon took a quick look around and settled in a suitable place.
“Come this way.”
But Carls called such Seo-Jun.
And Seo-joon’s seat is similar to that of the emperor.
In other words, he was in a higher position than the crown prince, Carls.
“Your Highness, I think this is an excessive seat for a stranger.”
One of the nobles took a step forward in response to Carl’s actions.
Then, Carls shouted as he glared at the nobleman who spoke with sharp eyes.
“Kim Seo-joon is a close friend of Taesai Aren. He says he will treat you accordingly, so what’s the problem?”
The dignity of a king different from when he faced Seo-joon.
“That, I don’t mean that…”
The aristocrat who was suppressed by the momentum began to panic and panic.
In fact, compared to Seo-joon, Carls was not at all behind him.
One of the few sword masters in the Empire.
He was a powerful man who surpassed the heroes of Cataclysm.
There were few who could handle the momentum of Carl’s like that.
“Although he is a close friend of Lord Aren, he is a stranger to the end. More than anything else, isn’t it Mr. Aren himself?”
Literally, except for a few beings.
At the sudden voice, the meeting room’s eyes turned to it.
There, there is an old man who looks like he has orphaned 10 snakes.
There was none other than Vettel.
“Also, please consider that treating a stranger on the same level as your Majesty could be considered disrespect for Your Majesty.”
It’s ‘I don’t know if you’re an emperor, but aren’t you an emperor yet? But why do you act like an emperor?’
“He is not an ordinary stranger, but someone who was recommended by Lord Aren.”
“Isn’t that also recommended to the last?”
Anyone can see that it was forced, and of course, Carls was not aware of it.
However, there was no choice, so Carls gnawed at his teeth.
nerve war that follows.
Apparently, the meeting was going to drag on before it even started.
“All right. Jari-ya, how are you?”
With those words, Seo-jun roughly found a suitable place and sat down.
Carls bowed his head apologetically,
Vettel gave a sly smile.
<I can’t wait to see it.>
And at Vettel’s words, the mentor in his arms muttered softly.
Her voice was barely audible even when she was close by, but Vettel was second only to the Emperor.
Vettel’s expression hardened as if he had heard what the mentor said.
Then the mentor giggled and smiled.
It was as if I had been told to listen this time.
And did he even hear the laughter of such a mentor?
Suddenly, Vettel’s expression began to redden.
“There was a fuss, but the meeting starts right away.”
Carl’s words continued before long.
At the same time, Vettel’s expression faded in an instant.
Then, as if he had waited, he told Seo-jun straight away.
“They asked for 100 billion gold per case.”
How… It was a question that cut off all fours.
Pretending to be nothing on the outside, pretending to be cold.
He was pretending to be a pretender, but in reality, he seemed to be boiling.
“Are there any problems?”
“Do you think that makes sense now?”
“What else can I do?”
Vettel’s expression went blank for a moment at Seo-jun’s shameless answer.
100 billion gold was a staggering amount of about 1,000 trillion in Korean currency.
To be honest… it was an absurd amount.
Are you saying there is a 1,000 trillion won job somewhere in the world?
And that too, per case!
But that bastard was shouting as if it were very natural.
This is not some crazy guy…!
“I showed my ability because I was told to show my ability. Then shouldn’t you pay for it appropriately?”
“Does that mean you think that the power of four things reaches 100 billion gold?”
Seo-joon nodded his head without worry.
The moment when the shamelessness was absurd.
“No, and my ability is also an ability, but isn’t the situation that serious?”
Seojun started to spit out words like a rapid-fire cannon.
“Isn’t it that the empire itself might be ruined by the monsters right now? Besides, didn’t you say that even His Majesty the Emperor was missing?”
“That could be taken as the fact that there are beings that even His Majesty the Emperor cannot handle. Can you handle that?”
“And I heard that His Majesty the Emperor has been missing for a long time. Weren’t we supposed to find His Majesty as soon as possible? If it keeps getting late like this, what will happen to His Majesty the Emperor… Ah! no way?”
In an instant, Seo-joon seemed to realize it.
He shouted at Vettel with a shocked expression.
“J-Ji, are you wishing for His Majesty to die right now? Treason…!!”
And then he looks frightened as if he didn’t really know that…
“Be, Lord Bethel…?”
“Stop, no way…!”
Swept away by the atmosphere, other nobles also started whispering.
Quaang!
“How dare this guy…!”
Vettel, as if momentarily losing his reason, began to radiate ferocious energy.
That crazy guy has enough.
It’s been a long time since I crossed the line.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!
Before long, tremendous momentum began to explode through Vettel’s body.
Intermediate courses in the Transcendental Curriculum consisting of introductory-beginner-intermediate-advanced.
To be precise, Vettel is at a level that seems to have just entered the high class.
Vettel was a powerful person who could not be compared on Earth, and was an exceptional talent who could not be easily found throughout the dimension.
Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu-gung…!
Vettel’s momentum dominated the atmosphere of the conference room.
The lifespan that dwelled in the momentum was so hideous that it could crush an existence.
but.
“Look at this, everyone! Everyone can see that the seizure button is pressed at the word treason!!”
Seo-joon was not affected at all by Vettel’s momentum.
Rather, he was pointing his finger at Bethel and shouting loudly.
“·······!!!”
For an instant, Vettel’s eyes widened and opened.
That wasn’t to the point of being unaffected by momentum.
It was an action only possible when the momentum was overpowered.
And such a case had never been seen by Vettel.
Even the emperor can’t do that.
But how…?
“Vettel! What disrespect is this!!!”
Calth’s shout erupted in an instant.
Only then did Vettel suddenly come to his senses.
And at the same time, he was able to realize the actions he had done.
No matter what the process was, looking at the situation alone, it was like using force recklessly in the meeting room.
That too, in front of the seat where the crown prince was openly present.
No matter how weak the crown prince was, the crown prince was the crown prince.
This is obviously rude and an insult to the imperial family.
At worst, it was a situation that could lead to treason.
“sorry. I have committed great disrespect.”
Vettel hastily apologized to Carls.
Then, he slowly turned his eyes to look at Seo-joon.
Without realizing it, I got caught up in the stranger’s face.
I thought it was stupid because he looked dumbfounded as if a screw was missing somewhere…
That stranger, his skills are also his skills, but he is not an opponent to be taken lightly.
Vettel quickly organized her thoughts.
“As an apology for the rudeness, we will actively accept the request of the stranger.”
“······what?”
Vettel’s sudden change of attitude gave Carl a dazed expression.
And a word from Vettel that followed.
“Instead, there are conditions on our side as well.”
Vettel looked at Seo-joon and gave a fishy laugh.
#
After the twists and turns of the meeting, Seo-jun and Carls were able to return to the drawing room.
And the conditions Vettel demanded.
It didn’t have much content.
Please find the emperor’s whereabouts as soon as possible.
And deal with the threat of the empire as you do now.
Then 100 billion gold per clue to the emperor’s whereabouts.
100 billion gold per deal to deal with the threat of the Empire.
Of course, there is a separate fee for disposing of monster corpses.
That was all.
That’s why it was a kind that couldn’t be called a condition.
However, the problem is.
“This is… impossible even for Seojun Kim.”
It’s just that the difficulty of the job is too high.
Vettel accepts Seo-joon’s request.
They gave a tight deadline to find clues to the emperor’s whereabouts.
Regarding this, he returned Seo-jun’s words and said that the emperor’s whereabouts should be found quickly.
If I had thought that way from the beginning, I would have done it right away…
‘Well, I can roughly guess why.’
Meanwhile.
It was designated by Bethel to deal with the threat of the Empire.
And the first place I designated was the Dark Forest.
Here, the dimension of Astelgia boasted about twice the area of the entire Earth.
However, that was literally only the area, and at least it was useful land.
So, if you only count the land where people can live, what you can call real land has shrunk.
and that worthless land.
One of them was the Dark Forest.
The reason, as the name suggests, was that there were too many monsters.
In response, the current emperor tried to subjugate it, but failed repeatedly.
It was known as an unknown land from which no one could return alive.
In other words, it was the intention to embarrass Seo-joon by giving him an impossible task.
Or better yet, if Seojun dies.
“This is a nonsensical request. I will somehow…”
That’s why Carls only repeated his worries.
Seeing Carl’s like that, the mentor suddenly jumped out and said,
<By the way, Mr. Carls. Didn’t he say he was the Crown Prince?>
“Yes, but.”
<But why are you so incompetent?>
“·······”
Carls was momentarily at a loss for words.
To be honest, objectively, Carls wasn’t incompetent.
Once, Cals was one of the few sword masters in the Empire.
I’ve heard the word “genius” tickle my ears, but
I’ve never heard the word incompetent.
And that the prince had no ability.
what kind of nonsense is this
This was plain blasphemy.
No, not only the offense of blasphemy, but also the offense of insulting the imperial family could be added.
It was one of the most serious crimes that could not be avoided under the strict imperial law.
but.
“·······”
Carls couldn’t say anything.
That’s because he was only swayed at the conference hall and really lacked the ability!
Carls lowered his head involuntarily.
Seeing Carl’s like that, Seo-jun said to his mentor.
“Mentor. You seem a bit harsh…”
<But it’s true!>
But what makes a mentor so confident?
He put his hands on his hips and shouted.
Seojun shook his head at the sight of such a mentor.
what.
Because it wasn’t wrong.
“I’m really sorry I couldn’t be of any help…”
Seeing Seo-joon not saying anything else, Carls couldn’t help but raise his head.
But… why the hell?
“yes? Wasn’t that helpful?”
A meaningful voice came from Seojun.
Carls looked up softly, wanting something.
Then Seo-jun tilted his head and said to Carls.
“Didn’t you make me earn 100 billion gold per case?”
“yes? that···.”
For a moment, Carl felt like his mind went blank.
After all, isn’t 100 billion gold per stake an impossible mission?
but.
“1,000 trillion per case!”
Seo-joon shouted, opening his eyes as if he had nothing to do with it.
In fact, 100 billion gold was just what he had seen.
100 billion gold is approximately 1,000 trillion in Korean currency.
Anything in the world is worth 1,000 trillion won!
Considering that Excalibur cost 5,000 trillion, it was a crazy price.
So, at this meeting, I was vaguely thinking that roughly 100 trillion won would be appropriate.
But to give you 1,000 trillion!
That too, as a party!
If you do this, you will be able to quickly gather not only the lost power, but also the cause and effect to return to Earth!
“Ah… ah ah…!!”
Seo-joon trembled as if he had been electrocuted.
“·······”
Carls didn’t know how to react to this.
No, but wait.
If you think about it, isn’t the money given to Seo-jun ultimately the empire’s budget?
In the end, I cut off my own weight…
Carls hastily shook his head.
Although 100 billion gold was an enormous amount of money,
To be honest, it wasn’t money I couldn’t spend.
This dimension, Astelgia, boasted about twice the area of the entire Earth.
And the Volunyu Empire is the only country that controls all of Astelgia.
To put it simply, he was the ruler of a territory that would exceed all the nations of the earth combined.
Of course, it was impossible to even dare to estimate the national budget for one year.
Above all, as mentioned in Aren’s letter of recommendation.
In order to get Seo-jun’s help, he had to gather money he had and didn’t have.
And whether or not he knew Carl’s feelings.
“What should I do first? Clearing the Dark Forest? Find the emperor’s whereabouts? Do you think the dark forest is a little too much for you?”
<Still, if it was Kim Seo-joon, wouldn’t it just be tick-tack?>
“Um… but I’m a little uneasy.”
<Ah, unless the Observer has been exiled to the Dark Forest, that would be the case.>
The mentor shook his head as if to stop talking nonsense.
“·······”
The conversation between the two made Carl’s mind wander for a moment.
That’s because he knew very well what the dark forest was like.
Simply put, it was an abandoned land.
A place that has never been conquered in thousands of years.
Even with all the power of the empire, it was a land that had never been stepped on.
But what?
tick?
“I’m still anxious, so I’ll regain my strength with the money I’ve earned this time. Wait a minute before that…”
Soon after, Seojun looked at Carls and said.
“Do you know anything about the whereabouts of the emperor?”
“That… I don’t really know that either. Other than the fact that he was going to subdue Beserk… that was also a cautious move, so he didn’t tell us where he was going…”
Carls lowered his head and said.
<Really…>
Seeing Carl’s like that, Mentor shook his head.
But Seojun didn’t say anything different.
If he had known the whereabouts of the emperor, Vettel would not have made such a condition.
That’s why finding the whereabouts of the emperor was expected to be a considerable ordeal… but in fact, I wasn’t worried at all about this either.
“Let’s go see Aren first.”
Aren should have figured something out by now.
